Needs of people with disabilities used to determine clinical education

Western rehabilitation techniques were first introduced into China in the early 1980s. The predominantly 'medical model' of health care in China has resulted in a shortage of rehabilitation personnel and limited experience determining the needs of clients. Occupational therapy practitioners in China are learning their new roles and clients, having never had any contact with occupational therapy, are unaware what services can be offered. The purpose of this research was to determine the most frequently self-identified functional problems (in the ares of self-care productivity and leisure) identified by 113 in-patients in four different hospitals in China, in order to assist therapists to develop programmmes that are responsive to clients' needs. Using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, both males and females identified significantly more self-care than leisure or productivity problems (P = 0.01). Females identified more productivity problems than males (P = 0.01) while males appeared to consider leisure difficulties as a priority more frequently than women. The study was jointly undertaken by a Canadian and a Chinese researcher. To our knowledge, this is the first time that occupational therapy personnel in China have formally surveyed clients about their rehabilitation needs, in order to develop priorities for programming.